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Jalapeño Watermelon Agua Fresca – a drinko for Cinco

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Is it summer yet? My Vitamix thinks so. It’s been running all morning blending up tasty drinks that just scream SUMMMMMMMMER. (See the caps there? Screaming. Also, yeah, drinks, as in expect to see a few more of these around the piggity blog sooooon…)

I thought I’d lay this first one on you just in time for Cinco, since it seems festive and party-like and agua fresca sounds good rolling off the tongue. Well, maybe it sounds better rolling off of Salma Hayek’s tongue, but I think you know what I mean. And if your tongue is anything like Salma’s, well, someone’s ears are lucky.

uh.

But for realsies. This agua fresca is some flippin’ FRESH. ASS. WATER. YO.
And yeah, I realize how that reads. I’m just gonna keep on typing forward because it’s about a thousand times more satisfying than backing over ass water. It’s summer, after all. Ain’t nobody got time for regrets. Embrace the present! Live in the now! Buy sixteen new Target bikinis!

I’m feeling it.

You’re gonna love this fruity, spicy, chillaxed drink, you guys. Not only is it the perfect drinko for Cinco, it’s just easy living in a glass. Cool, sweet, spicy. And it turns out that when you blend watermelon with coconut water, you get a super refreshing, hydrating bevvie that tastes 100% LESS like man sweat. So much winning.

Note: In almost any agua fresca, the fruit pulp will separate into a fruity froth over time. I actually like the froth, so it’s no big thing. If you’re after a clearer drink, just strain the agua fresca through a fine sieve before serving.

Ingredients:

4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into cubes

1 cup coconut water

1/4 – 1/2 cup jalapeño simple syrup (see recipe below)

ice

lime & mint for serving (optional)

Instructions

Add watermelon, coconut water and simple syrup (start with 1/4 cup) to a blender and process until very smooth and frothy, about 30 seconds. Taste for spice and add more syrup, if necessary. Serve immediately over ice with a squeeze of lime and a stripey straw. Or, cover and chill for up to a day, stirring before serving. Enjoy!

Jalapeño Simple Syrup

Note: Typical simple syrups are 1:1 sugar to water. I like a lighter hand here, especially since watermelon, in season, is ridiculously sweet. Since you still need enough liquid volume to steep the peppers, I’ve just reduced the sugar by half (rather than reducing the quantity of syrup, itself, in the agua fresca). And a note on peppers: I tend to err on the side of hot (2 peppers) and just use the resulting syrup judiciously. Always taste your syrup for heat before adding it to your agua fresca. This is also great for spicing up cocktails!

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring or swirling until sugar is dissolved. Add halved jalapeños and simmer, covered, for an additional 5 mins. Remove from heat and allow jalapeños to steep in syrup until cooled, about 10 mins. Remove peppers before using syrup (and put them to use in your favorite salsa recipe — or top off some tacos!).

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Oh gosh Emily, this sounds amazing!!! I love chilli in cocktails/mocktails, the bit of extra warmth and zing always makes the drink extra special. This one is both aesthetically gorgeous and delicious-sounding. I’m looking forward to more Cinco de Mayo posts! x

Wow, what an ingenious combination – I never would have thought to pair jalapeño and watermelon together, but I can definitely imagine it’d be delicious! Love the color combo, too. Can’t wait to try this!!

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